Tuesday, November 07, 2006 More training firms rise with increase of BPOs By Malou M. Mozo Sun.Star Staff Reporter
ACTING as a support system to cater to the burgeoning growth of Cebu’s business process outsourcing industry, the province has seen the mushrooming of several training centers that aim to increase an indi-vidual’s chances of getting a job in a sector known for above-average salaries.
“Training centers are here to bring back hope to people who can’t work abroad yet want to land in a high-paying job. We are here to train people so they can be ready for that opportunity,” Total eSourcing Support Systems Inc. (Tessi) president and chief executive officer Engr. Albert Nuñez said.
Tessi, which had its soft opening last Sept. 8, is a training center by day and a call center at night.
Nuñez told Sun.Star Cebu that setting up a call center in addition to the training center will help facilitate easy employment for their trainees.
He said the company is currently looking for potential local and foreign clients who wish to outsource their services.
The call center will offer “competitive salaries and incentives” and is slated to operate on the first quarter of next year Tessi, a 104 square-meter-training center located at the second floor of CJRS building in Asiatown IT Park, includes three training rooms that can accommodate a maximum of 25 applicants.
Trainees undergo a two-week “rigorous” preparation on call simulation, communication skills, American history, culture and geography.
“We want to neutralize their accent so they won’t sound too Americanized,” said Tessi chief operating officer Carmel Montesclaros.
Screening
“It’s not an easy industry that’s why it’s best to come prepared,” she added.
Since Tessi has partnered with several call centers in Cebu, they are tasked to do the initial screening of applicants, including background check, personality test, language and grammar proficiency and the final interview.
“We automatically endorse those who passed the training and these call centers will do the post assessment,” Montesclaros said.
TESSI has trained six batches of 16 trainees and is targeting to endorse 100 trainees per call center each month, she added.
Montesclaros revealed the company has invested some P600,000 for the facilities and is looking at expanding its operations in Manila soon.
Meanwhile, Nuñez said the Filipino’s trait of being hospitable is one of the reasons foreign companies continue to outsource their services in the country.
“It’s a blessing that we are by nature hospitable. It’s our unique selling proposition. We go out of our way to help others, that’s why foreigners love us. We just need to channel it in the right industry,” he said.
